


Stride and Seek

by NorthernRoseOfMay



Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Modern with Magic, Alternate Universe - Superheroes/Superpowers, Amnesiac Angus McDonald, Angst with a Happy Ending, F/F, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Found Family, Gods AU, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Spoilers for The Stolen Century, spoiler warning
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-19
Updated: 2017-11-19
Packaged: 2019-02-04 12:27:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 967
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12771054
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NorthernRoseOfMay/pseuds/NorthernRoseOfMay
Summary: In a world where everyone were born with powers said to have come from seven deities, Amnesiac orphan Angus McDonald thought for sure he was one of the Journal Keeper’s, what with his power to know if any given information is correct or not. However, when his curiosity gets him in quite a pickle, he finds himself inexplicably catching on fire. Which shouldn’t be possible, of course, because everyone only gets one power. Never two from two different deities.Also, there’s something odd about that elf in the parking lot.





	Stride and Seek

**Author's Note:**

> It was said that long ago, when the world was in constant turmoil, a bright light shot through the sky as the seven deities of the light ascended to the world. Shortly after, people who honored the deities were blessed with powers, depending on which one stood them closest to heart.
> 
> The Twins - Transformation, evocation, flying  
> The Lover – charm, manipulation, necromancy  
> The Protector – defense, power, time  
> The Wordless One – language, illusions, telepathy  
> The Peacekeeper – plants, healing, empathy  
> The Journal Keeper – memory, information, perception

It was a generally nice day. There were a few clouds here and there, but none of them obscured the sun yet. Even if they eventually did, they’d be too small to hide the sunlight for too long unless someone used their powers to keep them there on purpose. Some of the other children in the Orphanage were running around in the courtyard, playing games and inconspicuously messing with their powers until it became so noticeable that the caretakers would have to step in before someone got hurt. There was a small group of children playing soccer, laughing and whooping, mostly bigger children of The Protector who could stand to take a hit or two. Inside of the school building and dormitories, there were children reading, solving puzzles, and generally enjoying the silence.

And all the way to the back of the courtyard, almost next to the fence that split Orphanage and street, was a big oak. Under that oak sat a young boy, engrossed in a book.

Angus McDonald had lived in the Orphanage for as long as he could remember. It wasn’t that he had grown up there, according to his documents he arrived at his current home only two years ago. He just couldn’t remember any of the things that happened _before_ those two years.  He knew his name was Angus McDonald, he knew he was 12 years old, but these things felt more like facts lodged into his brain than memories. They were just stone-cold facts. Angus McDonald. 12 years old. Orphan. Journal Keeper child.

As to why he was sitting all by himself under the furthest tree in the courtyard – all the other areas were too _loud_ to read in. The library was always close to dead silent, but he had been too loud in the past about his excitement over books that he wasn’t allowed in there anymore. There was the root of yet another problem; Angus didn’t really fit in with the rest of the kids.

The other Journal Keeper children disliked how he talked too much, and the other kids disliked how he almost only talked about things they didn’t care about or _understand_. Even as he read his current book all alone – the newest Caleb Cleveland book – he would mumble quietly to himself with the occasional exclamation when something particularly interesting happened.

He got so lost in the book, he didn’t hear someone calling for him. Not until his reading was interrupted by a hand waving in front of his eyes.

“Angus,” Noelle Redcheek, one of the sweeter caretakers in the Orphanage crouched down next to him. “Have you forgotten that you have detective duty today?”

Oh. Shit. He totally had. “ah, yes- I’m sorry ma’am, I- this book, I- I just- “

“-You’ve been talking about this book ever since it was announced. It’s fine,” Noelle said, smiling gently. “I’ll take care of your book while you’re working. Now hurry, you’re gonna be late!”

Monthly detective duty. Another thing that made him different from the rest of the children there – he had a _job_. It was more like forced community work, but he did get paid and he did enjoy what he did. The reason for him being allowed a paycheck was because of his powers. The Journal Keepers’ powers – everything within memory, information, and perception – were fairly common powers in themselves. Journal Keepers’ generally had photographic memory, or speed-reading, or they were just generally very smart. However, Angus had a rare power that let him know whether a piece of information was correct or incorrect – something that proved indispensable to the local police department. He had been called in for a particularly odd case once, proven himself useful, and the rest was history.

So, Detective Duty it was.

* * *

 

The thing with Angus’s power was that he could only really ask himself five things a day, as any more would hurt his head. Splitting headaches. He had done it a few times before and regretted it every time. Whenever he came to the Police office, the information-gathering he _could_ do took a minute or two, which left him with a whole lot of free time most days. That free time was more often than not otherwise occupied by whatever officers had the time, though.

That day, though, almost all the officers were too busy to spend half an hour watching over Angus, so he was told he could call the orphanage to pick him up once he was done with the questioning. Angus would just walk back, really. It wasn’t too far away.

Some guy had been found dead beneath a cliff. He died as he hit the ground, but he had wounds and bruises unrelated to the fall itself, so some suspected foul play.

Was it murder? _Incorrect. Four questions left to go._ He wrote down the information on the paper Superintendent Captain Bain had given him, and moved on.

Suicide? _Incorrect. Three questions left._

Accident? _Correct. Two questions left._ There we go.

He used his second to last question to inquire about the wounds and bruises (which were unrelated to the case), and decided not to use his last one. He could write the report in a way that made it seem like he answered more than he did. They rarely ever asked exactly what questions he asked himself, anyway. He finished his report, put it in an envelope and handed it to one of the officers, and headed back towards the home.

The walk home was uneventful. Or maybe it was just that Angus wanted to get back to his reading as soon as possible, so that he paid less mind to his surroundings. 

That must have been it. Otherwise, he would probably have noticed the camper van sitting alone in the Orphanage parking lot.

**Author's Note:**

> First fanfiction! Starting this to attempt to improve my writing, if you stick around you might hopefully get to witness it changing for the better!


End file.
